Celtic have received a notable setback ahead of tonight’s crucial Champions League clash, with key defender Cameron Carter-Vickers having been ruled out of the fixture.
What’s the word?
As per the Daily Record, Hoops boss Ange Postecoglou has revealed that the United States international has missed the trip to Germany to face Bundesliga side RB Leipzig, having been somewhat hopeful that the 24-year-old could be involved earlier this week.
The former Tottenham Hotspur man – who signed for the Parkhead outfit on a permanent deal earlier this summer – has been absent since the draw with Shakhtar Donetsk prior to the recent international break, with this evening’s encounter having seemingly come too soon:
“In terms of outs, Cameron wasn’t 100 per cent so he’s not with the team and Liel Abada didn’t travel and obviously Carl Starfelt and Aaron Mooy had a bit of a niggle in training so we left him behind. “
As alluded to above, fellow defender Carl Starfelt is also unavailable due to a knee issue while summer signing Aaron Mooy also sustained an injury in training, with Israel international Liel Abada ruled out due to his ‘observance of Jewish holiday, Yom Kippur’, as per BBC Sport.
Real worry
While all those absentees will be of concern to Postecoglou, having to be without Carter-Vickers, in particular, once again will no doubt be a real worry, with the Scottish champions already stretched with regards to centre-back options.
The upcoming meeting with Marco Rose’s side will see the youthful pairing of Mortiz Jenz and Stephen Welsh line up together due to the lack of alternatives, with it yet to be seen if that partnership can thrive having looked a “mess” in the defeat to St Mirren a few weeks ago, according to journalist Josh Bunting.
That pairing was also criticised by pundit Frank McAvennie following the recent narrow victory over Motherwell, with the ex-Hoops striker brutally stating that they “don’t look as if they know each other.”
While the duo have received the backing of their manager – who stated it was a “great opportunity” for them to shine this evening – the former Yokohama boss also acknowledged the importance of both Starfelt and Carter-Vickers to the side, dubbing them “mainstays”.
The latter man had been particularly impressive during last season’s Scottish Premiership triumph, keeping 17 clean sheets from his 33 league outings to earn a deserved place in the PFA Team of the Year.
That solid form has continued into the new campaign with the £6.3m-rated titan having registered five clean sheets from his six top-flight appearances, with his quality and composure in possession also vital to the Old Firm outfit, as he has a pass accuracy rate of 92% thus far – a better record than both Jenz (89%) and Welsh (90%).
In truth, the 6 foot 1 ace has been the defensive “rock” for the club of late – in the words of McAvennie – with it no doubt a “massive blow” not to have him in the side ahead of such a crunch encounter with regards to Celtic’s hopes of progression.